Joel McIver Interview

Distinguished music journalist and author Joel McIver has penned mammoth books on Black Sabbath and Metallica as well as a number of other admirable books. His forthcoming tome is on the legendary thrash metal band Slayer. His website is www.joelmciver.co.uk.    

 

Why did you decide to write a book on Slayer?

There was an obvious gap in the market for a book on the band. I've always been mystified by that fact and wanted to supply an obvious demand. Also, I love their music to an almost unhealthy degree!
 

Did you approach the band's management? What was their response?

 I did, yes, with a view to making it the official Slayer book. I had a couple of long conversations with their manager Rick Sales and sent them all copies of my Metallica book, so they could see that I was a serious author and that I had some experience of writing about heavy metal in general and thrash metal in particular. The band were tentatively interested but obviously too busy to give it much thought, and in the end they hadn't made a decision one way or the other by the time my deadline arrived. So I thanked them for their time and wrote the book without their involvement. I'm sure they'll do an official book one day.
 

In terms of research material, how do approach the writing of a book? With Slayer, for example, there is a lot of information to work with so it must be a daunting task?

For me, value for the reader is always top of the agenda. Any writer can cobble together a book made up of old text stolen from the internet. I always aim to provide information that isn't available anywhere else, thus giving the book value and the reader a reason to purchase. This involves interviewing the subjects, their associates, eyewitnesses, and other people with first-hand information. Once I've done a gazillion interviews, I use them to add colour to the basic chronology. Of course, you may not be writing from a chronological perspective -- I've written books about specific albums and films which require a lot of critical analysis, for example -- but a band biog usually reads better if it's organised along a timeline. If you find this daunting, treat it as a challenge and step up! The worst case scenario is that you do your best but the book flops. No big deal, you dust yourself off and resolve to do better next time.

Given the similarities does your Slayer biography make a suitable companion to your book on Metallica?

Yes, absolutely. Anyone interested in 1980s thrash metal will enjoy both books, and there's a lot of common ground in later years too.

Has Lars Ulrich or any of the band read 'Justice For All?'

I don't know, but I doubt it. Their legal team will have checked it for libellous material, for sure.
 

Can you tell me about your background in music writing?

I started as an occasional contributor to various magazines in 1996: I was a teacher at the time. I moved into full-time journalism in 1999 when Record Collector needed a production editor. This was a great training ground for me as a writer: within a short time I was learning to edit text, write reviews, commission writers, manage a production schedule and so on. It was chaos at times (the publisher back then was a sociopath and the editorial team were divided by differing loyalties) but that was just part of the challenge. I wrote my first book the same year and have continued to write a book or two every year since then. My Metallica biog sold well enough to allow me to quit Record Collector in 2005 and work from home, which I love as I don't have to deal with company politics, commute into London or work for idiots. I've built up my freelance journalism over the years too: I contribute every month to Metal Hammer, DVD Review, Rhythm, Total Guitar, and Bass Guitar and (still) Record Collector; I occasionally write for Classic Rock, Future Music, Acoustic and Modern Drummer; and mags I've written for in the past include Kerrang, Terrorizer, Total Film, Music Mart and Rock Tribune. I do a fair few liner notes for major and indie record companies as well as the odd bit of radio, TV and DVD.  
 

Who are you music and non-music influences?

The music I love most is extreme metal, funk, classical and some jazz and hip-hop as well as the usual ‘60s to ‘90s biggies. My 'non-music influences', you might say, are my wife and kids and my love of films and sleep.
 

What do you think about contemporary rock writing compared to the eighties when Metal Hammer and Kerrang! first started out?

 I was given a couple of Kerrang yearbooks by David from Akercocke recently and I was amazed by how naive the writing was back then. I'm sure Mick Wall and Malcolm Dome, who are great writers, would agree that the 'kranium-krushin'' style they used back then seems pretty obsolete now. Then again, I loved the way that in any given issue of Hammer or Kerrang the editor would happily include features on Rush, Styx, Lita Ford, Bon Jovi, Deep Purple, Anthrax, Morbid Angel, Warrant, Poison, Venom, FM and Cheap Trick and not give a toss that they had very little in common.

Which of your books has been the hardest to write?

 The Black Sabbath book I did in 2006, partly because it was so big -- 175,000 words -- but also because I wanted it to be the best in its field. No easy feat when there are already several books on the subject by very respected writers. It turned out OK though.
 

Do you have any other projects in the works?

    

Yes, four other books are on the way. ‘The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists’ is out at Christmas on Jawbone Press, who do amazing guitar books. Then I'm co-writing the autobiography of a certain classic rock icon (who shall remain nameless for the moment!) and in 2009 there will be major biographies of major metal bands, which I'll announce nearer the time.

Interview by Neil Daniels 2008. Image kindly provided By Joel McIver Copyright 2008.